Storm Eagle
Chapter during landing.]] The Storm Eagle is a heavy assault gunship used by the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes as a heavy tactical air support unit. Storm Eagle gunships will follow a Space Marine Chapter's Thunderhawk gunships and Drop Pods into battle, where it can lend its weapons to a devastating aerial assault. The Storm Eagle mounts an impressive amount of firepower for an aircraft of its size and is also capable of transporting twenty Space Marines directly into the thick of a ground assault. The Storm Eagle assault gunship was one of the most numerous designs found in a Space Marine Legion air-fleet during the Great Crusade. A dedicated tactical strike unit, its primary roles are orbital assault deployment of Space Marine infantry forces and low-level ground attack. The Storm Eagle is a rugged and durable machine, very heavily armed for its size, and considerably protected by armour plating, although it lacks the speed and manoeuvrability of true fighters and bombers. In operation use it proved itself an extremely flexible vehicle serving capably as a long-range transport, orbital shuttle, scout and interceptor when called upon to do so in addition to its main battlefield roles. History Legion during the Istvaan III Atrocity.]] The Storm Eagle gunship is a design that dates back to the time of the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, where it was deployed alongside the larger and more numerous Stormbird and Thunderhawk designs used by the Space Marine Legions' space and aircraft-fleets. It is closely related in design to the Stormraven. The Storm Eagle was a dedicated tactical strike unit and was very heavily armed for its size, but lacked the Space Marine transport capacity of the other patterns of gunships. The Storm Eagle was first constructed on Terra, but as the Great Crusade pushed further and further out into the galaxy, the principal sites of Storm Eagle manufacturing shifted to the Mechanicum Forge Worlds of Tigrus, Galatea, and Anvilus IX, all of which are primary-grade Forge Worlds whose vast industrial output was sufficient to supply all of the Space Marine Legions and the Custodian Guard with large numbers of these well regarded and adaptable aircraft. Unfortunately for the Imperium, all of the aforementioned Forge Worlds suffered catastrophic damage during the Horus Heresy and the Standard Template Construct (STC) pattern for the Storm Eagle was thought to be lost during this tragic period of history, making further manufacture of this gunship impossible for the Imperium after the end of the Heresy in the early 31st Millennium. Although several Space Marine Chapters have managed to keep a sizable core of Storm Eagles operational down through the centuries, during the later years of the 41st Millennium the number of Storm Eagles in active service has actually begun to increase, especially amongst those Chapters known to have favourable relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus. This has led some observers to believe that production has been restored at an as yet unknown location. Armament The Storm Eagle is an assault gunship and is thus heavily armed for its task. In fact, the Storm Eagle is one of the most heavily armed Imperial aircraft of its size. The Storm Eagle is equipped with forward hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters, and a hull-mounted Vengeance Launcher. The forward hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters can be replaced with twin-linked Multi-Meltas or a single Typhoon Missile Launcher. The Storm Eagle can also carry up to 4 Hellstrike Missiles or Tempest Rockets under its wings. Alternatively, the Storm Eagle can equip two twin-linked Lascannons under its wings. The aircraft can be upgraded with a searchlight that is used to illuminate enemy ground forces and extra armour plating for additional protection from enemy fire. Storm Eagles are also commonly outfitted with an additional layer of ceramite plating, for added protection against enemy fire. Unit Composition *'1 Storm Eagle Gunship (41st Millennium Only)' *'1 Legion Storm Eagle Gunship (31st Millennium Only)' Wargear A standard Storm Eagle Gunship is armed and equipped with: *'Twin-linked Heavy Bolters' *'Vengeance Launcher or ROC Missile Launcher (ROC Pattern Only)' *'2 Hellstrike Launchers' *'Machine Spirit (Artificial Intelligence)' A Storm Eagle Gunship may replace its set of hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters with any of the following: *'Twin-linked Multi-Meltas' *'Typhoon Missile Launcher' A StormEagle Gunship may replace its two wing-mounted Hellstrike Launchers with: *'2 twin-linked Lascannons' A Storm Eagle Gunship armed with a Typhoon Missile Launcher can use the follwing types of munitions: *'Frag Missiles' *'Krak Missiles' Horus Heresy Era Wargear During the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy the Storm Eagle Gunships of the Legiones Astartes featured different weapon load-out options than those still found during the 41st Millennium. A standard Legion Storm Eagle Gunship is armed and equipped with: *'Twin-linked Heavy Bolters' *'Vengeance Launcher' *'4 Tempest Rockets' *'Machine Spirit (Artificial Intelligence)' A Legion Storm Eagle Gunship may replace its set of hull-mounted twin-linked Heavy Bolters with any of the following: *'Twin-linked Multi-Meltas' *'Missile Launcher' A Legion StormEagle Gunship may replace its 4 wing-mounted Tempest Rockets with any of the following: *'4 Hellstrike Missiles' *'2 twin-linked Lascannons' A Legion Storm Eagle Gunship may take the following vehicle equipment: *'Searchlight' *'Extra Armour Plating' *'Armoured Ceramite Plating' Variants of the Raven Guard Legion]] *''Darkwing'' Pattern Storm Eagle - A rare and precious variant utilised exclusively by the Raven Guard Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras of the 30th and early 31st Millennia. This variant Storm Eagle pattern was fitted with a range of highly prized and barely understood systems, from its rad-shrouded armour to its quantum field repellors. These additional systems required a higher degree of maintenance and some interior space was sacrificed to make room for them, meaning the vessel had a slightly reduced troop-carrying capacity. Given that the Darkwing pattern was often utilised to insert small units of elite warriors such as the Mor Deythan deep into enemy-held territory, this was no great loss. Each Chapter within the XIX Legion maintained a stock of these highly-prized gunships. It is not known if the Raven Guard still utilises this rare pattern of Storm Eagle in the late 41st Millennium. *''Nighthawk'' Pattern Storm Eagle - The Nighthawk Pattern is a specialised variant of the Storm Eagle that was developed at the dawn of the 31st Millennium by the illustrious Sabik Wayland, an Iron Father of the Iron Hands Legion. The Nighthawk Pattern was equipped with a multi-spectrum camouflage field which greatly increased the vessel's stealth capacities. The Nighthawk Pattern was also noted to be far more agile than the average Storm Eagle and was equipped with decoy launchers able to confuse incoming missiles. The Nighthawk Pattern was still undergoing tests at the time of the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, its construction plans having not been sanctioned by the Mechanicum for mass-production. In fact, the only Nighthawk Pattern known to have effectively flown was Wayland's own personal gunship which undoubtedly proved its efficiency on the many covert missions led by Wayland and the valiant crew of the Strike Cruiser Sisypheum. If and to what extent the Nighthawk Pattern was indeed commissioned for regular duty remains unclear. *''Roc'' Pattern Storm Eagle - A variant of the standard pattern Storm Eagle is the Roc Pattern Storm Eagle, which is intended to serve as a dedicated tank-destroyer. Although outwardly indistinguishable from the standard pattern of the aircraft, the Roc Pattern Storm Eagle forgoes a proportion of its transport capacity for added specialized anti-armour munitions and on-board fuel reserves for its attitudinal thrusters to enhance its ability to carry out ground attacks. The Roc Pattern Storm Eagle's Vengeance Launcher is loaded with ROC warheads, which are warheads containing sub-munition packs that shower their target with multiple armour-piercing rockets. *'Fire Raptor Gunship' - The Fire Raptor Gunship is a specialised variant of the standard Storm Eagle design that was widely used during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy by every Astartes Legion. This variant is configured to maximise ammunition stowage in order to feed the voracious appetite of its numerous weapons. It does this, unfortunately, by sacrificing its interior transport capacity. Although the Standard Template Construct (STC) designs required for the Fire Raptor's construction were lost some time after the Horus Heresy, new Fire Raptors are now being fielded in increasing numbers across the countless war zones of the late 41st Millennium, suggesting that an as-yet unidentified Adeptus Mechanicus Forge World or Adeptus Astartes Chapter Forge has come into possession of a complete STC imprint. Chaos Storm Eagle While the Storm Eagle dropped out of use amongst the Adeptus Astartes when the two Forge Worlds that produced it in the greatest numbers fell during the Horus Heresy, many Chaos Space Marine warbands retained their vessels and, so it appears, the secrets of maintaining them. Though rarely deployed in great numbers, the Heretic Astartes have continued to make use of their Storm Eagles throughout the Long War. The craft are well-suited to the wars the Traitors wage, for many attacks are carried out by small bands of elite warriors launching precise, bloody assaults upon specific objectives. Those Storm Eagles serving in the ranks of the Heretic Astartes warbands are often very different from those serving with the Adeptus Astartes. Their Machine Spirits are corrupted and cruel, and their armour is clad in fell runes and ghastly trophies. In many cases, the vessel's systems have mutated, either under the direction of a Warpsmith or else spontaneously through prolonged exposure to the Warp. Known Users of the Storm Eagle Gunship *'Adeptus Astartes' - The Storm Eagle Gunship is used by several Space Marine Chapters that have favourable relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus. *'Chaos Space Marines' - Owing to the ancient provenance of the Storm Eagle's pattern, a few examples of the gunship, albeit heavily modified to keep them in service, are found in the hands of Chaos Space Marines. The Storm Eagle has been in service to the Traitor Legions since the early days of the Great Crusade, though those examples still in working order have often been corrupted by the Warp, are covered in blasphemous Chaotic iconography and may have had their Machine Spirits (Artificial Intelligence) replaced by a possessing daemon. *'Salamanders Space Marine Chapter' - The Salamanders Chapter has very favourable relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus and has been known to make extensive use of the Storm Eagle. *'Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter' - The Iron Hands Chapter has very favourable relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus and has been known to make extensive use of the Storm Eagle. *'Charnel Guard' - The Charnel Guard Chapter deployed six Storm Eagle Gunships during the campaign on Kaziah's Moon in the Bittershard System. *'Revilers' - The Revilers Chapter deployed a single Storm Eagle Gunship during the campaign on Kaziah's Moon in the Bittershard System. *'Minotaurs' - The Minotaurs Chapter makes use of standard and Roc Pattern Storm Eagles, first deploying the latter variant of the aircraft during the Orphean War. *'Space Marine Legions' - The Storm Eagle was widely used by all of the Astartes Legions during both the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. *'Legio Custodes' - The Legio Custodes made use of the Storm Eagle during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. It is unknown if the Adeptus Custodes still make use of the aircraft in the late 41st Millennium. Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications Sources *''Imperial Armour Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes'' (8th Edition), pp. 34-35 *''Imperial Armour Aeronatica'', pg. 28 *''Imperial Armour Volume Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus'', pp. 10-11, 150-151, 160 *''Imperial Armour Volume Two, Second Edition - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes'', pp. 24, 134-141 *''Imperial Armour Volume Thirteen - War Machines of the Lost & The Damned'', pp. 71-73 *''The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 45, 97, 149, 165, 214-215 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Three: Extermination'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 80-81, 135-136, 278 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Six: Retribution'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 94-95 *''The Horus Heresy - Book Seven: Inferno'' (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pp. 94-95 *''The Horus Heresy: Legiones Astartes - Age of Darkness Army List'' pg. 57 *''Angel Exterminatus'' (Novel) by Graham McNeill, pp. 102-104, 129-131 *[https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-NZ/Storm-Eagle Forge World - Storm Eagle] *''Forge World - Darkwing-pattern Storm Eagle'' (Dead Link) Gallery Stormeagle01.jpg|A Storm Eagle of the Salamanders Chapter, side view. Stormeagle02.jpg|A Storm Eagle, dorsal view. Stormeagle03.jpg|A Storm Eagle, rear view. Stormeagle.jpg|A Storm Eagle of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter. File:WE_Storm_Eagle.jpg|A Storm Eagle of the World Eaters Legion, side view. Dark Brotherhood Storm Eagle.jpg|A Legion Storm Eagle of the Dark Brotherhood; note that this vessel was used by the Blackshield leader called the Nemean at the Conclave of Optera, and bears heraldry and adornment unique to him and which hint at his origins; the text on the vessel's flanks appears to reference several battles of the Third Rangdan Xenocide. File:SW_Storm_Eagle.jpg|The Space Wolves Legion Storm Eagle The Red Storm of Fenris, which took part in the Razing of Prospero. StormEagle0001.png|An Anvilus Pattern Storm Eagle Gunship, Roc sub-pattern, of the Minotaurs Chapter; this vehicle was part of the 7th Tactical Reserve Company. StormEagle0002.png|The Fortuna Mori, dedicated transport craft for the Minotaur Chapter's Reclusiarch, Ivanus Enkomi. StormEagle004.png|A Storm Eagle of the Angels Revenant Chapter, this spacecraft was found drifting in the void on the coreward border of the Orpheus Sector; its vacuum seals were damaged and its crew missing. Slaughterkin Chaos Storm Eagle.png|A Chaos Storm Eagle of the Renegade Slaughterkin warband, Scourging of Kerrack, 933.M41; the distinctive bone white and blood red is adorned with numerous ritual markings thought by the Ordo Malleus to represent kills enacted in the name of the Blood God, Khorne. Death Shadows Chaos Storm Eagle.png|A Chaos Storm Eagle of the Death Shadows Renegade Chapter. This Storm Eagle was destroyed when the Death Shadows' base at Sybari was overrun by an advance tendril of Hive Fleet Behemoth. StormEagle002.png|An ancient pict-capture of a crashed World Eaters Legion Storm Eagle. StormEagle00000.png|A Storm Eagle in flight during the Necron invasion of the Orpheus Sector during the Orphean War. StormEagle003.png|A Storm Eagle in flight. StormEagle000000.png|A squadron of Storm Eagles in flight. StormEagle00001.png|A Storm Eagle of the Salamanders Legion coming in for a landing during the Horus Heresy. StormEagleFlight000.png|A Storm Eagle of the Alpha Legion in flight. Category:S Category:Aircraft Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Aircraft Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:Chaos Vehicles Category:Imperial Aircraft Category:Imperial Spacecraft Category:Imperial Vehicles Category:Imperium Category:Spacecraft Category:Space Marine Vehicles Category:Space Marines Category:Vehicles